New housing projects in Taunton nearing completion

Monday

Jan 13, 2014 at 7:41 PMJan 13, 2014 at 10:31 PM

With the near completion of all the residential buildings that make up Bristol Commons and Lenox Green, 15 families have already moved into their new homes as part of the mixed-income developments, which have been constructed with the help of a $22 million federal HOPE VI grant, according to the Taunton Housing Authority.

Marc Larocque Enterprise Staff Writer @Enterprise_Marc

With the near completion of all the residential buildings that make up Bristol Commons and Lenox Green, 15 families have already moved into their new homes as part of the mixed-income developments, which have been constructed with the help of a $22 million federal HOPE VI grant, according to the Taunton Housing Authority.

Representatives of Trinity Financial, which will own and operate the new buildings, took a quick tour of the Bristol Commons site on Monday afternoon, where 88 new energy-efficient townhouse-style units have been built.

Karen Cruz, the HOPE VI coordinator for the THA, said that 82 of the units at Bristol Commons (formerly known as Fairfax Gardens, on Dewert Avenue) have received their "occupancy certificate," allowing for residents to move in.

"Everything is built," she said. "Everything is ready to go. There is some interior work being done. But mostly it's just a matter of going through safety protocol and making sure it's safe to be there."

As construction workers from CWC Builders finish interior work on the six remaining units at the site, all located in one building, residents from 15 units have moved into a portion of the site near the Shores Street entrance. The central section of the mixed-housing development is still cordoned off as construction continues.

In addition to the residential building at the Bristol Commons site, the interior of a community center (which will feature a Head Start and other community services) and a maintenance shed are still being completed.

"They should have certificates for occupancy on Feb 1 at the latest," Cruz said.

At the other site, Lenox Green (a formerly contaminated "brownfield" site behind the downtown bus station, called Parcel 6A), there is a "midrise," with three floors and 54 units, in addition to three townhouse buildings six units each, for a total of 72 mixed-housing units.

Cruz said thus far, one of the townhouse has its occupancy certificate and will be ready for residents to move in on February 1. Throughout the other residential buildings at the Lenox Green site, there is also being interior work done, including painting, flooring countertops and cabinets, Cruz said.

Each of the sites is more than 90 percent complete, Cruz said.

Jonathan Donahue, regional director for Trinity Management, said everything is coming in on time and on budget. The overall redevelopment is reportedly a $71 million project, financed through the public-private partnership between Trinity and THA.

"It's moving right along," Donahue said. "It's on time and on budget. It's fabulous. It doesn't get any better than this. The products that they used to build this, the vision they have. Just look at it and it sells itself. It's amazing."

Donahue said that market rate apartments at the Bristol Commons site are available for anyone to rent, with three taken so far. He said two-bedroom apartments are being rented for $1,320 and three-bedroom apartments for $1,550, with no income requirements.

Colleen Doherty, executive director of the Taunton Housing Authority, said that 700 people have applied for units throughout the mixed-income developments, with less than 150 available units available. So far, 50 to 60 units have been assigned, she said.

"It has a lot of momentum and I think people are excited about it," Doherty said. "Just looking at the wait list of people who applied for the lottery, it shows a need for affordable housing in the community."

Doherty said that less than 20 HOPE VI residents will be those who returned from the original Fairfax Gardens. Doherty said that most former Fairfax residents are sticking with the Section 8 voucher they were given to rent an apartment, and that the majority of candidates for the new units are Taunton residents who have not been part of the housing authority previously.

Robert Costa, a Taunton native who works as the property manager for Trinity, is the one responsible for vetting potential residents, doing background checks and interviews. Costa said that more of the Bristol Commons development and then the Lenox Gardens site would be opening in the following months, allowing for more residents to move in. Donahue said to expect a "grand opening" in May or June.

"We're screening everyone and moving them in," said Costa, a Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical High School graduate. "It's going well. We are hitting our goals. Everything is on time. It's awesome to see this transformation and being able to be part of it."

For more information, go to www.tauntonhousing.com or call 508-823-6308. To receive an residential application, email Trinity Management Company directly at BristonCommons@TrinityManagementCompany.com or call 617-398-2592.